Stephen AINSWORTH's impressive new ocean racing sloop Loki featured in a minor drama at the Abel Point Marina, Airlie Beach, Australia earlier today when a shaft failure sheared a skin fitting flooding a small section of the hull.

Fortunately Tony KIRBY the sole crew person on board at the time stemmed the flow of water before the hole in the carbon fibre hull was temporarily repaired allowing Loki to take her place on the start line for the 23nm Double Cone-Armit Island race tomorrow.

Loki is one of three high performance 18.2 m sloops who are expected to stage an America's Cup style match race to win the prestigious IRC class line honours trophy in the 2005 International Hog's Breath Race Week hosted by the Airlie Beach based Whitsunday Sailing Club.

The sloop launched in late June from Azzura Custom Yachts on Queensland's Gold Coast has produced excellent all wind speed during her sail evaluation trials.

Skipper AINSWORTH is impressed with her speed leading into her maiden regatta however the Loki crew will be facing up against two well proven rivals in the 2003 Admirals Cup champion Wild Oats now racing as Wild Joe with 2003 Hog's Breath Race Week champion Steven DAVID as skipper and the Dick CAWSE helmed Vanguard.

All three crews are capable of winning the first to finish award however they will need to produce a special tactical race to beat the lower handicapped yachts for the fastest corrected course time.

The promised match race between almost identical Mumm 30 class yachts Immigrant skippered by Jeffrey PAUL of Gladstone, Bruce EDDINGTON's Kato from Melbourne, London Calling of Stuart BANCROFT from Sydney and Brisbane's Alex DOUGLAS in Synergy have the individual crew skills and the all wind speed to claim an outright win.

Tom Burton (AUS) and Alison Young (GBR) hit the right note in the Laser and Laser Radial at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as they took out the top honours and qualification spots to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

It was double Australian gold in the Paralympic classes. Matt Bugg (AUS) came out on top in the 2.4mR whilst London 2012 Paralympic SKUD18 gold medallists Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) were triumphant in the two person keelboat.

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

There was some fast paced action in the 49er and 49erFX Medal Races at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen (AUS) and Maia & Ragna Agerup (NOR) claimed the honours and Abu Dhabi final spots.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.

Nicolai Sehested (DEN) and his TREFOR Match Racing Team clinched victory today at the Energa Sopot Match Race, Poland, the 10th stage and World Championship Event of the 2015 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT).

There was no stopping current, and five-time ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR), GAC Pindar today at the Energa Sopot Match Race as he swiftly dispatched his Quarter Final opponent Joachim Aschenbrenner (DEN) in three straight wins.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) continues to address concerns and is taking steps to ensure the health and safety of all athletes who will be competing in the upcoming Aquece Rio, Olympic Test Event and the Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition.

Veteran Polish match racer and America's Cup helmsman Karol Jablonski skilfully played the gusty conditions today to lead the twelve strong field of teams at the end of Day 2 of Qualifying at the 2015 Energa Sopot Match Race.